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Re: Huge Luftwaffe Victories over USAAF?
Somewhere I have the statistical data for 1944 and first part of 1945, translated from Luftwaffe primary documents by RAF intelligence. It has summaries by theater, by a/c type, by mission and losses. What is clear is that fighter loss rates in the West were IIRC ,5 times higher in the West than in the East, even as late as early 1945, by which time I had expected the USSR would have pretty well reached parity. I will have to dig these out and summarize them, but am really deep in my Ju 88 book right now. Based on thes figures, there were no "huge" victories by the Luftwaffe after Jan 1943. The replacement rates for aircraft in the Eighth Air Force dropped steadily, but were still significant right up to the end of the war. The ratio of losses as a result of Flak versus fighters I believe is available , but of course Flak was also part of the Luftwaffe. As an individual US or GB aircrew member right up to VE day, you were still put in harm's way when you flew over enemy territory and if you were the unlucky one that day, it probably seemed like a huge Luftwaffe victory.
Best regards,
Artie Bob
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